Mask-support for tv tubes



March 8, 1966 MACK ET AL 3,239,607

MASK-SUPPORT FOR TV TUBES Filed Oct. 5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheec l 20 6 Z 4\l a I I I I 1 I I I 2 //Vl/[ V 70,?5 J BEEN/12D MACK 2 amsaew GALST/A/VA ram/5Y5 March 8, 1966 c ETAL 3,239,607

MASK-SUPPORT FOR TV TUBES Filed Oct. 5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTORS. BZQ/VAQD MACK BY BABGE/V GALST/fl/V ATTOENE Y5 United StatesPatent 3,239,607 MASK-SUPPORT FDR TV TUBES Bernard Mack, Rego Park, andBabgen Galstian, Forest Hills, N.Y., assignors to Plastic-WareIncorporated, a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 5, 1964, Ser. No.401,528 18 Claims. (Cl. 1787.9)

The present invention is directed to frames and the like for supportpurposes,.more particularly to masks such as are used to attach to thefront of a television cabinet and which, in part support the picturetube.

It has been customary in the past to die cast such masksupports of metaland to provide, at each of the corners of the inner face of the mask, apair of bosses having openings centrally thereof into which a screw orother fastener attached to the picture tube were inserted to support thefront end of the tube. Such a structure had a number of disadvantages inthat a relatively large amount of metal was required, adding materiallyto the cost thereof. The substantial weight thereof made it clumsy anddifiicult to handle and to assemble it into the rest of the mechanism.Also, if there were defects in the casting, such as blowholes, sharpcorners, or impurities in the molten metal, accidental damage to themask was liable to occur, sometimes after the completed product left thefactory.

In view of the above, the present invention seeks to provide a mask ofthe character described, it being among the objects of the invention toprovide a light-weight, strong, and easily handled device which issufiicient strong to withstand even rough handling in all the phases ofmanufacture of TV sets.

It is also among the objects of the invention to provide a device of thetype described which is cheap and rapid to manufacture, wherein thereare extremely few defective masks as produced, and which do notdeteriorate with handling or usage.

In the practice of the invention, there is provided the usual mask orframe such as is used in a television cabinet. In each of the corners ofthe mask on the rear side thereof, are bosses having central openingswhereby the front of the picture tube may be mounted and supported. Themask has a continuous flange extending rearwardly along the outer edgesthereof. In accordance with the invention, the structure is madeprimarily of a synthetic plastic material which gives lightness andstrength.

The invention contemplates the provision of ribs integral with the frameand extending from each of the bosses to the flange and unitedtherewith. Preferably, the ribs do not extend directly from the bossesbut are at various angles in several directions. Some of the ribs are inparallel relation, other ribs are perpendicular thereto and still otherribs are at various angles to the aforesaid ribs. There is also provideda subframe, the sides of which are approximately parallel to the sidesand inner opening of the mask. By reason of this construction, the ribsand also the Webs joining the bosses take up strains from whateverdirection they may be induced and furthermore, the structure distributesthe strain onto large areas of webs and ribs so that the distribution isuniform for practically the entire area of each corner of the mask.

The invention is more fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawing, constituting a part thereof and in which likereference characters indicate like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear-planned view, fragmentary in nature, showing one of thecorners of the mask and illustrating the structure of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a somewhat enlarged cross-sectional View taken along line 2-2of FIG. 1, and

Fatented Mar. 8, 1966 ice FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2. and takenalong line 33 of FIG. 1.

The structure includes a front face 1 of the mask having a centralopening bounded by edge 2 and into which opening the picture tube isusually inserted. On the rear face 3 of the mask are a series of bosses4 distributed along the periphery of the mask having central openingswhereby the mask may be attached to the cabinet of the television set. Aflange 5 extending rearwardly from mask 1 extends around the entireperiphery thereof.

Within each corner are bosses 6, 7, and 8 extending rearwardly andhaving central openings. They are arranged in triangular formation andthe central openings thereof are intended to accommodate screws or thelike for attaching and supporting the front of the picture tube. Webs 9extend between the several bosses and are integral therewith and withthe mask.

A relatively long rib 10 parallel to one of the edges of the mask isconnected to flange 5 by a series of parallel ribs 11 spaced asubstantial distance apart. A rib 12 parallel to an adjacent edge of themask is integral with rib 10 and has ribs 13 joining rib 12 withadjacent flange 5. A further rib 14 is roughly parallel to the opening 2and is joined to one end of rib 10 with the other end thereof joined torib 12 by additional rib 18. Ribs 10, 12, 14 and 18 form a subframe.Ribs 15 and 16 are parallel to each other and merge with the subframeand bosses 6 and 8.

Webs 17 are integral with ribs 16 and 14 and boss 6. Webs 19 extendingfrom bosses 8 and 9 merge into rib 10. Rib 20 parallel to rib 12 mergesinto ribs 10 and 18. An additional rib 13' which may be considered as anextension of rib 13 is merged into rib 20.

By reason of this structure, there is accomplished indirect connectionsbetween bosses 6, 7 and 8 and flange 5. This not only strengthens thebosses themselves but ties them in to the flange and thus strengthensthe entire structure where the strain of the weight of the picture tubeis the greatest. By the provision of three bosses, 6, 7, and 8, thestress on each boss is reduced by a substantial amount. Because theseveral ribs and webs are at various angles to each other, the strainsare taken up by the material contained in all of the stated elementsincluding the subframe, thereby a light weight, non-metallic mask hasbeen provided with greater strength, more reliability and less costlystructures.

In FIGURE 4 is shown a slight modification of the invention as shown inFIGS. 13 inclusive. Whereas in FIG. 1, three bosses are shown, namely,6, 7, and 8, in FIGURE 4, only two bosses 6 and 7 are shown. It has beenfound in most cases that the third boss, 8, is not of great importance,particularly with smaller sizes of frames.

Still another modification is shown in FIGURE 5, where there is only asingle boss, 6. This boss is made substantially larger than those shownin FIG. 1 and normally, would have a diameter about twice the size.There is moulded into the frame within boss 6' a tubular insert 25. Thissufficiently strengthens the boss so as to enable the frame to withstandany stress which may normally be placed thereon. It is understood thatboss 6' and insert 25 may be substituted for one or more of those bossesshown in FIGURE 1.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mask-support for television tubes having a substantiallyrectangular frame having a front and a rear face, a central opening insaid frame, said rear face having a substantially fiat support in atleast one corner thereof, a plurality of ribs integral with said supportand approximately normal to said support, at least one upstanding bossin said corner constituting means for attaching said frame to a cabinet.

2. A mask according to claim 1 characterized in that at least some ofsaid ribs are in parallel relation and other ribs are substantially atright angles thereto.

3. A mask according toclaim 1 characterized in that at least some ofsaid ribs are in parallel relation.

. 4. A mask according to claim 3 characterized in that said attachingboss is adjacent the edge of said frame.

5. A mask according to claim 3 characterized in that 'an upstandingsub-frame integral with said support has two of its sides substantiallyparallel to they adjacent sides of said flange.

9. A mask according to claim 6 characterized in that an upstandingsub-frame integral with said support has two of its sides substantiallyparallel to' the adjacent sides of said flange and a third side at anangle to said two sides.

10. A mask according to claim 6'characterized in that an upstandingsub-frame integral with said support has two of its sides substantiallyparallel to the adjacent sides of said flange and a third side at anangle to said two sides and a fourth side parallel to one of said twosides.

11. A mask according to. claim 6 characterized. in that an upstandingsub-frame integral with said support has two of its sides substantiallyparallel to the adjacent sides of said flange and a plurality ofsubstantially parallel upstanding ribs connect said flange -tosaidsub-frame.

12. A mask according to claim characterized in that there are three ofsaid bosses in adjacent relation and interconnected by some of saidribs.

13. A mask according to claim 5 characterized in that.

there are three of said bosses in adjacent relation and interconnectedby some of said ribs and the webs,- said webs being at approximatelyright angles-to each other.

14. A mask according to claim 5 characterized in:that

at least. one ofv said support bosses has a metal tubular insert.

15. A mask according to claim 5, characterized in that. .there'ispresent a single support boss for atube between the edge of said frameand said opening,

16. A mask according to c1aim5 characterized in that upstanding websintegral with said support interconnect said support bosses.

17. A mask according to claim 16 characterized in that some of said ribsare'in spaced parallel. arrangement and said webs are in parallelarrangement at an angle to said some ribs, and a second set of ribs arein parallelarrangement at approximately right angles to at .least onevof said parallel ribs.

18. A mask according to claim 16 characterized in that some of saidwebsare integral with. some of said ribs.

References Cited by thetExaminer.

UNITED STATES PATENTS V 4/ 1963 Fiore et; a1. 178--7.82

FOREIGN? PATENTS 1,143,228 2/1963. Germany.

References Cited by theiApplicant UNITED 'STATESPATENTS l DAVID G.REDINBAUGH, Primary Examiner. R. L. RICHARDSON; Assistant Examinen

1. IN A MASK-SUPPORT FOR TELEVISION TUBES HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLYRECTANGULAR FRAME HAVING A FRONT AND A REAR FACE, A CENTRAL OPENING INSAID FRAME, SAID REAR FACE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SUPPORT IN ATLAST ONE CORNER THEREOF, A PLURALITY OF RIBS INTEGRAL WITH SAID SUPPORTAND APPROXIMATELY NORMAL TO SAID SUPPORT, AT LEAST ONE UPSTANDING BOSSIN SAID CORNER CONSTITUTING MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID FRAME TO A CABINET.